Appliance

Handles and other tubular parts with Class A finishes

If you’ve purchased a new range or refrigerator over the last 70 years, chances are it came with a Mills Products handle. Your handle was manufactured using one of our in-house processes: hydroforming, roll forming and tubular stamping.

One of the things we’ve learned over the years is some metal forming processes work better than others depending on desired part volume, complexity and aesthetics. That’s why we offer multiple metal forming techniques under one roof.

ROLL FORMING

From the ’60s to the ’80s, we engineered roll-formed appliance handles that were easy to manufacture and cost-effective. You may remember the ubiquitous W-shaped chrome handles found on most major appliances — that was us. Our designs proved so successful that they’re still requested today by major appliance manufacturers.

HYDROFORMING

In the late ’90s, we started using hydroforming to develop more complex appliance handles. Hydroforming allows us to produce beautiful, one-piece handles with excellent torsional stiffness and virtually limitless design flexibility. We were the first metal forming company to bring tube hydroforming to the appliance industry.

TUBULAR STAMPING

In the 2000s, we adopted tubular stamping to further expand our metal design services. Tubular stamping allows us to produce tubular components with a wide range of diameters, high strength-to-weight ratios, and low per-unit costs. Complex features like hemmed edges and coined shapes, once considered cost-prohibitive, are affordable realities with tube stamping.

CHOOSING YOUR METAL FORMING PROCESS

The best method depends on your application. Our design engineers work with yours to determine which metal forming process will achieve the best results. We specialize in helping appliance manufacturers find solutions to meet their form, fit and function requirements in ways that cut costs and improve part strength.